Diabetes: My Survival Story

Chapter 3: Learning

I stayed in the hospital for 4 days. I stayed in my bed for the first night and a doctor would come in every time I wanted to eat so she could teach my dad on how to give myself a shot, but I didn't like the idea of me doing it so my dad would do it.

She told me if I ever wanted something to eat, I would need this shot and tell my parents. I never wanted to eat because of this. And when I did eat I had to eat it all because I would have to give myself the insulin before eating so it would have time to be ready for the sugar.

The second day they told me I could get a little car to ride around the hallways with. That was the most excited I had ever been. It was little red plastic car with a yellow roof and in order to "drive" you had to become the Flintstones and use your feet. I loved that, but my dad hated it. He would have to run after me with the stand of insulin so I would rip out my IV attached to my hand. It was great dodged other patients and doctors. I think my dad knew then that I would be a bad driver since now being 14 he is already teaching me where the emergency break is.

The 3rd day they told me I could go into the playroom, and there I found my first love. Rokenbok. They were like Legos but they didn't hurt like hell when you stepped on it. It had remote control vehicles and a crane. It was basically a building company you built. It was my childhood toy.

Anyway, they had it behind a case and I would make sure I got the trucks stuck so they had to the open the case and I could move everything around. I was a clever child.

When I left the 4th day I didn't want to leave the Rokenboks so my dad went to the toy store the next day and bought me a set. I built it that night. I still have the sets in my garage and every once in a while I bring them out just so I can scare my dog off with the truck.

When I got home we had a small party with my parents and grandparents. It was torture because my grandparents brought cake. My parents didn't know how to figure out cake. Put the pieces together. I DIDNT GET ANY FREAKEN CAKE!!!!

The next day we went downtown to Children's Hospital at UPMC and I met my diabetic specialist doctor. Jean Romer. She has helped me in anything and everything. She is a god in diabetes.

I remember her saying she is celebrating her 40th anniversary of being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes by going to Disney World. I was stunned, I thought "Why in the world would you celebrate having diabetes." So being the 7 year old I was, I blurted that out. She laughed a little and said, "I am celebrating because I survived those 40 years and I'm still standing here today healthy as I can be. It's a miracle worth celebrating." I was happy for her because she was the only person in the entire world right there who understands the pain just as much as me, so I ran up to her and hugged her. She is my diabetic buddy.

She has helped me in everything from continuing to learn all this information that I know, and I thank her everyday because otherwise I would know nothing.

She was the one who told us about the insulin pump. I first had a Animus pump (that's at least how I think you spell it?) Anyway I got that pump for my 5th birthday present from my parents because they knows my hatred towards needles.

An insulin pump is the most amazing thing I could say about having diabetes. I don't need to calculate how much insulin I need to put in. It just knows my ratio. A ratio is like for every carb I eat it translates it into the amount of insulin. My ratio is 1:10 so every 10 carbs I eat, I get 1 unit if insulin. A lot of math, which I hated, but the the pump does it for me! It's amazing I can't be any happier to have it. And how I get the insulin exactly? Well there is a tiny plastic tube that is inserted through my skin in my hip. I could do it on my leg, my arm, or my stomach.

I tried it on the stomach, but I kind bent over and it ripped off. It was painful trying to move so it's gonna stay on my hip.

After almost 10 years of having this disease I have learned a lot about many different things. And I've experienced plenty of stories I hope to remember to share them in here. Ooo I know a good one...